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"No, it would be difficult indeed to kill this one. If you will stand back I will retrieve your sword," says Aslan.

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"Thanks," she says, stepping back - and collecting Winter's fallen weapons along the way. His sword still has an icy hand wrapped around the hilt, but the ice is beginning to melt.

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And Aslan wraps his paw around the sword and pulls.

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The ice cracks - breaks - the sword comes free.

Winter thaws.
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Bella, having restored every living thing on the battlefield for their side, approaches.

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Aslan returns James's sword to her.

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James accepts it with a murmur of thanks, never taking her eyes off Winter.

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...Who, after a brief wincing glance at Aslan, sinks to the ground and buries his face in his hands and sobs.

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She studies him thoughtfully.

"I really don't understand him," she says at last. "I wish I did."
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"I don't either," murmurs Bella.

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"I'm not surprised."

Hesitantly, sword at the ready, she steps forward.
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He flinches from the sound of her approach.

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"...I don't suppose you'd like to tell us what we should do with you?" she tries.

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Winter rubs his eyes and looks up. His eyelashes are frosted with tears.

His eyes find James - he shivers. Bella - he flinches. Aslan - he cringes away, tearing up all over again.
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James holds her breath. She can tell something important is going on in there; she just can't tell what, or why, or how to affect it.

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A low, soft growl starts in Aslan's chest.

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With a half-choked sob, he scrambles to his feet and bolts.
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Some creatures start forward, but Aslan holds up a paw.

"Let him go. Perhaps in the absence of his Queen he will learn other ways. He was once Adam's Son."

The creatures stop starting.
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"I hope so," sighs James.

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"Time will tell," advises Aslan. "Now. We have all had a long day, and it is time for tea. I believe there is a certain Rabbit who has been doing a dangerous task for many years now, and perhaps he could be induced to provide his services now. Is he here?"

A rabbit, wearing a cornucopia over his shoulder and neck like a bandolier, creeps forward, and finds a clear spot on the field, and takes the cornucopia off and pours from it a great assortment of food and drink, some far too large to have reasonably come from the mouth of the horn but managing it anyway, and he goes on like this setting up a grand picnic until there is enough of everything for every creature and then he bows before Aslan and to each of the humans.
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"Oh, it was you with the cornucopia - you've done such a wonderful job," says Bella earnestly. "Making sure everyone was fed."

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"Thank you," James adds, nodding agreement.

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The rabbit bows to them again, looking very bashful and fidgeting with the end of one of his long lop ears. "Thank you."

And everyone sits down to eat.
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Food. Food is so awesome.

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It's so awesome. The cornucopia makes really good food. Bella shares out her candy, which all the creatures find very exotic.

After their picnic, the day is over, and they sleep where they are, and in the morning everyone gets up and travels in a leisurely disorganized company to Cair Paravel, along the riverbank to the sea where the river spills into it, and up into the castle itself, made of alabaster and ivory and hung with peacock feathers and cloth-of-gold. There are four thrones, but Bella and James are ushered to the center pair, where Aslan crowns them King James and Queen Isabella.

King James's crown is a solid golden circlet, peaked at the front but quite high on all sides, decorated with leaves and vines of silver, and Queen Isabella's is like a silver ring of vines tangled together artfully around her head, wrapped in their own golden leaves and flowerbuds. Someone has come up with a few trumpets and these are played to deafening shouts of "Long live King James! Long live Queen Isabella!"

And Aslan says this, when the shouting has quieted enough that anyone could hear him: "Once a King or Queen in Narnia, always a King or Queen. Bear it well, Son and Daughter of Eve!"

And then there is the most tremendous party. There are singing mermaids, there is feasting, there is dancing, there is the honoring of various creatures who have been especially of service - the cornucopia-bearer, Isabella's unicorn, the hound who first caught the scent, Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, and a number of others who are remembered and nominated forward for honor by the new King and Queen. The reveling goes on long into the night.
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